On Thu, 10 Jun 2004 19:03:35 +0200 Thorsten Wilms <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hello again! > > The discussion about linear or radial mouse movement for > knobs finaly got me to mockup an idea i had in my mind > for sometime already. > > For now I call it fan sliders: > http://wrstud.urz.uni-wuppertal.de/~ka0394/forum/04-06-10_fan_slider_01.png > > It's all about concept, not style. > > The idea is to allow rather small sliders, but on mouse-down lines > from top and button appear on one side (important for making the > feature discoverable). Outside of the inital slider the pointer > position is indicated by the crossing middle and vertical line. The > straight horizontal extension is only meant to make reading easier. So > up/down is value change, outwards increases precision (can of course > be turned for stuff like pan). > > If the graphics do not fit on the screen, it still can work because > the value is indicated by the initial slider and inclination of the > center line (well, at least I hope so). > > Default expansion direction should be reading direction, but moving > the pointer out on the other side could make it turn over. Close to > the right screen edge the behaviour could be as known from menus. > > The first mockup has a slider where the dragable part is clearly > defined. The second gives a stronger sense of value, but is not clear > about where to click (I propose everywhere on the slider area, always > grabbing the actual value. No special behaviour like known from > scrollbars). It's also more space efficient, because the whole are can > be used (with the other one a half button must be spared on both ends > each.) > > For those concerned about precision of pointer movement / > inadvertently changes to precision while adjusting value: > Instead of linear spreading out, it could be stepped (lines looking > like stairs). But that would be much less elegant. > > > Comments, please! I really like it. Utilises the two degrees of freedom very effectively. It wouldn't even strictly be necessary to display the fanned bit - just have the behaviour. Incidentally, it does have an exact parallel to radial knob control, just 'straightened out', and thus more ergonomic! - Myk
